Sasse: I won’t support Trump if he’s GOP nominee

February 29, 2016

Nebraska Republican U.S. Senator Ben Sasse said that if Donald Trump wins the most Republican delegates and is the Republican nominee for President, he will instead find a 3rd party candidate to support.

Sasse made this statement in a Facebook post Sunday night. He started by telling the world that he is not…

a career politician

part of the establishment

worried about job security

for open borders

“squishy”

He then eventually got into his thoughts on The Donald, noting a number of statements Trump has made recently:

opening up libel laws to sue newspapers for editorials

showing approval of the “strength” the Chinese used against the student in Tiananmen Square

showing approval of Putin’s methods in Ukraine

other ways he would support restricting the 1st Amendment

As he gets down to it, Sasse says that Trump is not a Constitutionalist, and therefore he can’t support him.

And he then says he won’t support Hillary either.

And that may be the case, but if he goes full bore, he will be true to his convictions…but the Hillary Clinton campaign just gave three cheers.

Sasse and others are not willing to swallow and accept that Trump is all bluster in the campaign and would act any differently in the Presidency. It is difficult to look at it any other way.

Even one of Trump’s biggest admirers, Scott Adams, recently “disavowed” Trump, mainly over his failure on the David Duke, KKK issue. And he’s not crazy about Trump’s answers on Trump U. or selling vitamins.

After Marco Rubio’s stellar debate performance where he finally knocked Trump off of his game, Trump has gone even a bit more nuts than he had already been — many of the issues that Sasse and Adams have brought up have been within the past week.

Sasse’s statement here is more of a gambit to say that he is 100% all in for Rubio or Cruz, and leaving no conversation open for Trump as many others have — at this point, Senator Deb Fischer, who has openly endorsed Marco Rubio, has said she would support the GOP nominee.

And from the various analyses, an open convention is still a very real possibility, and Trump could go down — and then probably run his OWN third party campaign.

In that sense, and in the “purity” sense, Sasse’s gambit makes sense.

But if Trump does get the nod, Sasse will likely know that if he’s not into Trump, in reality, there is no third choice.

***

Come back to Leavenworth St. this afternoon for another post, with an interesting story on the 2nd District Congressional race.

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Sasse knows something the American people don’t – the RNC is fully prepared to throw the election so that whoever they pick at a brokered convention will include Paul Ryan on the ticket. He’s their Golden Child to lead them into the Promised Land of ultra Conservative Crony Capitalism. It won’t be the American people picking the next president – it will be Preibus, McConnell and Gingrich…loyalists all.

Ben Sasse is all about Ben Sasse. Senator Fischer was up in the Twin Cities at a Rubio phone bank this past weekend. Where was Ben? Instead of helping a candidate win, he has strategically stayed on the sidelines and launched bombs at Trump. Why? Ben doesn’t care about 2016. His prize is 2020! This phony sits on the fence and then only engages in the race to get his own name out. There is a faction of the party that is willing to give us 4 more years of the Democrats so they alone can take the White House. They will screw us all in a heartbeat for power.

Every primary vote for Trump is a general election vote for a Democrat. Trump will not beat either Democratic contender. He’s alienated every racial minority, and his bluster is too much to stomach for the majority of white folks. He can’t pull down majority support from his own party…so how in the hell is he going to get majority support from the entire country?!

BTW, I was amused by these two lines:
– Ben Sasse is all about Ben Sasse.
– They will screw us all in a heartbeat for power.

I’ve got a problem with Sasse’s statement. We get behind the nominee. That’s what you do as a Republican. If he wants to go join the libertarians in scuttling a Republican White house, he may do so but that would go against everything that Ben is about. Which brings me to my next point:
Sasse says he is not part of the “establishment”. How many times must we address this lie? Sasse worked for the Bush admin, hell he helped design Medicare part D. Sasse has lived in DC most of this century. He was “recruited” to run by Mark Fahleson. Ben Sasse is as “establishment” as it gets.

I like Sasse. He’s as smart as they come, understands the big picture, and has done a great job of reaching people outside of the party by making smart comments on television. I just wish he would quite lying to himself and his constituency by claiming that he’s not part of the establishment. If anything, he is proof that there are parts of the establishment worth saving.

Sweeper,
You are reading into Sasse’s words what is NOT there. He did not say third party, but third candidate. That could mean a write in candidate. Considering Nebraska is one of the last few states to vote, that is not much.

However, for all the talk about supporting a nominee, why would you support a candidate who just a few short years ago funded Hillary? Talk about nepotism!

And if people think anti-Trump critics are just whining because their own candidate is not the front runner, think again. Trump is a known factor. Instead of negotiating and holding clear policies, he is far more likely to throw insults and bully people.

As for Sasse, he is seriously responding to constituents who have asked him about the presidential race and he sees lots of problems of the message Trump is sending out. Conservatives largely believe Trump is a Democrat Trojan horse designed to purge the Republican Party of conservatives.

As a conservative, I can’t vote for Trump either. If that means I pull a Brewsters Millions and vote for “none of the above” then so be it. Trump scares me even more than Bernie. At least with Bernie know what crazy leftist things he believes in. With Trump he stands for nothing and has no defining political philosophy. His opinions can change from issue to issue and his reasoning for believing in one thing may totally contradict his feelings on another.

Any Republican who claims to be a conservative and then turns around and endorses Trump is persona non grata with me too. When they do that they show that all they care about is being close to power and not advancing the cause of conservatism.

Fischer was at a phone bank? Wow. How many people did she actually influence? Compared to Sasse having the balls to repeatedly call out Trump and reach millions of voters? Sasse’s engagement of Trump has far more impact for the conservative movement than a few phone calls from a phone bank. My guess is the Rubio and Cruz campaigns realize that Sasse’s efforts are FAR more productive and helpful than Fischer’s or her fellow senators.

Who does Ben support for president? Maybe Ben could have supported a candidate as he is the second coming of Christ according to the Beltway media. Ben seems to make calculated moves to increase his image and not of those who need his help like Rubio or Cruz

Last time I looked, Sasse’s facebook announcement he won’t support Trump had well over 4000 ‘likes’. He’s getting the message out 21st century style. Phone banks are fine, but they’re oldfashioned and somewhat counterproductive. I dislike being called by political campaigns, and a lot of it will turn me against the candidate.

I am so proud to call Ben Sasse our Senator. Now if only more Senators and elected officials would do the same…..
Trump is NOT a conservative. He does not represent anything that we believe as Lincoln-Coolidge-Reagan conservatives. Any Republican who endorses or supports him is giving themselves an F in my book.

If Trump wins the nomination, I will not vote for him either. At that point, the game will have already been lost.

I have no reason to believe either Trump or Hillary will be better than the other – none. And the (R) that would go in front of Trump’s name would mean zilch, if that’s who the party nominates. If it comes down to that, I will write in or go third-party.

This race is more than Trump or Ben Sasse’s ego. Do you people think that 4 years of Democrats picking judges, signing executive orders, and ignoring our laws is better than Trump? Who dies this thinking serve? The Democrats and those who want to run for president in 2020. The Supreme Court is the only thing stopping the liberal tidal wave. Sasse is an opportunist just like Trump

Clearly this is just more crass posturing by Sasse (rife with dog whistles). 1/3rd Termer Ben trying to continually attach his name to conversations about presidential selections.
You need look no further than this wholly transparent call out to himself – “some third candidate – a conservative option, a Constitutionalist”.

But it is this statement from Sasse’s governance-via-Facebook doctrine, that perfectly sums up the dementia that has overcome our always angling Sasse Baron. In promoting himself, Ben states:“No, I’m not for open borders. (The very first official trip I took in the Senate was to observe and condemn how laughably porous the Texas/Mexican border is. See 70 tweets from @bensasse in February 2015.)”

Cause ya see fellow Nebraskans, when you want to witness the determined leadership, sage insight, and body of accomplishment that qualifies Sasse Baron for President Of These Here United States – you merely need check his TWITTER FEED!!!

I’m sorry if you think that the way to reach people in 2016 is only through newsprint or to go down to the local library and read it in the congressional record. Twitter & Facebook are widely used means of communications today. Besides, I’m not too concerned with how the message is transmitted, I’m only worried about the content of the message.

BTW what the hell “dog whistles” are you talking about? Is everything a secret racist, sexist code nowadays? Give me a break.

But I guess I would expect a party that is nominating a 68 year old woman who claims she doesn’t know how to run her email to be their nominee wouldn’t like any of this new fangled internets stuff. Its OK. My grandma isn’t on twitter either.

Dog whistles aren’t limited to veiled racism, and that’s not what I was calling out.
Dog-whistles are coded language that appears to mean one thing to the general population but has an additional, different or more specific resonance for a targeted subgroup.

And here’s Ben, whistling away –If our Party is no longer working for the things we believe in – like defending the sanctity of life, stopping ObamaCare, protecting the Second Amendment, etc. – then people of good conscience..

Roe vs Wade, January 22, 1973, the vote was 7-to-2.
The decades long promise to overturn Roe, which is never going to happen – is a dog whistle.

Stopping ObamaCare.
Signed into law March 23, 2010.
More than 60 failed votes by Republicans to “repeal and replace” yet, 6 YEARS later and Republicans STILL can’t offer a viable ‘replace’ solution. They have nothing, nada, zilch.
And Sasse Baron ran on a solitary platform of repealing and replacing and has yet to offer anything and it’s rarely even part of his schtick anymore.

Second Amendment –
We’re still awaiting the arrival the Jackbooted Thugs Wayne LaPierre promised!
Americans have armed themselves to the hilt, stocked up on dried goods and survival seeds and mapped out their ‘bug-out’ strategies for when Terrorist sympathizer Barrack Hussein Obama imposes martial, or sharia law.

And this crisp, clear Sasse whistle –I believe a sizable share of Christians – who regard threats against religious liberty as arguably the greatest crisis of our time

Really Ben?
Every day, nearly 247,000 Nebraskans don’t know when or where they’ll get their next meal, and more than one-third of them are children.

So far in 2016, there have been 49 mass shootings in the United States.

Famous economists now define income inequality in America “spectacular”.
A disparity greater than at any time in the last 100 years, with the working poor and middle class falling further and further behind, The crushing blow if GW Bush’s devastating depression combined with the decades long march of income inequality has actually lead to silent epidemic of Americans simply killing themselves. Specifically American males, age 40 – 55, whose suicide rate has exploded by 40% since 2008.

Scientists are now certain that a child born today will live to the seas rise 3 feet in their lifetime. UNL climate scientists have warned that climate change poses significant risks to Nebraska’s economy, environment and citizens.

BUT – according to our always coddled Harvard-Yale-DC Ben – the biggest crisis in America is that Mary Pat’s Cupcake Emporium has to take the dirty gays money because they want baked goods at their wedding!

And preempting your cries – “But THESE aren’t dog whistles!!”
I’ll refer you to a famous Lee Atwater conversation, that starts out –
﻿ “You start out in 1954 by saying, “Ni##er, ni##er, ni##er.” By 1968 you can’t say “ni##er”—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff,”

Peggy lays all of America’s maladies at the feet of… immigrant, those dirty foreigners.

It’s a ridiculous claim.
It is sensible immigration policies that will secure America’s future. It is attracting and welcoming the brightest young minds and the strongest young backs that will allow America to continue to excel among the world’s economies.
With our declining birth rate (although there was a tiny tick up last year), it is those arriving from other lands that help keep solvent your, and my, social security.

I managed to post this under some other comment and not certain why it landed there, so am posting again.

Sweeper,
You are reading into Sasse’s words what is NOT there. He did not say third party, but third candidate. That could mean a write in candidate. Considering Nebraska is one of the last few states to vote, that is not much.

However, for all the talk about supporting a nominee, why would you support a candidate who just a few short years ago funded Hillary? Talk about nepotism!

And if people think anti-Trump critics are just whining because their own candidate is not the front runner, think again. Trump is a known factor. Instead of negotiating and holding clear policies, he is far more likely to throw insults and bully people.

As for Sasse, he is seriously responding to constituents who have asked him about the presidential race and he sees lots of problems of the message Trump is sending out. Conservatives largely believe Trump is a Democrat Trojan horse designed to purge the Republican Party of conservatives.

Democrat-turned-Republican Ronald Reagan was a hero to GOP voters who loved the fact that Reagan was a brash straight talker who lacked the Washington DC insider baggage of Ford and GOP leaders who were still defending Nixon.

The GOP leadership back then criticized Reagan for him being divorced, for having been an Emmy winning television host, for his past Democrat Party activism, for him wearing orange TV makeup, and they mocked his big hair as a “pompadour”.

Although, the Astrologer (Joan Quigley, of San Francisco) that he and Nancy consulted to aid them in scheduling nearly every important engagement (reykjavik, gorbachev summits, etc..), likely knew a number of Emmy winners.

A solid case can be made that Reagan gave birth to modern day Republican anti-intellectualism.
It is well documented that Reagan exhibited an astonishing unawareness of even basic facts.
At one meeting in 1983, he amazed a group of congressmen by denying that America had bombers and subs that carried nuclear weapons. Bombers and submarines constituted two-thirds of America’s nuclear triad.
Reagan advisors have confessed to having such a hard time getting him to read his briefing materials that some began conveying the information to him in cartoon form.
On many occasions Reagan embarrassed members of his administration by relaying some inane bit of nonsense he had read in the latest issue of Human Events. His closest advisors began hiding copies of the magazine when they arrived, spurring Reagan to order multiple subscriptions.

Point out a single lie, Harbison.
Like the clown show that is modern day GOP presidential debates, you throw that accusation around, a lot, but you never present any evidence to the contrary.

And the ’64 speech, “A Time For Choosing”, was given by a 52 year Reagan that had spent all but 2 of those years as a registered Democrat. 1964 Reagan is not the man who was inaugurated in 1980 and not the man who. re-elected in 1984, was suffering from the early stages of dementia.

In case y’all missed it, part of Rubio’s stump speech is now penis jokes.

I wonder if they’ve worked that into their phone bank efforts:
“Hello, Mrs. Costanza.. hi Mrs. Costanza, my name is Jenny, I’m calling from Team America’s Rubio Rangers, would you like to hear a joke about the size of Donald Trump’s penis? Mrs. Costanza, are you there Mrs….”

ProfGH, Each side of the parody pictures of Reagan. Not a fan then, but I think the historians Reagan is going to be more complicated and more investing than those two. Ike was a genuine intellectual but he had reached an age where he wanted to read Luke Short. Then I though how terrible, at 75 I understand. Probably same with Reagan

It’s beginning to feel like Sasse just used Nebraskans to gain a Senate seat so he would have a platform to get national exposure for a potential Veep or Prez run, a/la Hagel. Why does this keep happening to well-meaning Nebraska voters?